The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-03-25
KEPT VERY DARK.
The Manner of Proposing" Seldom
Comes to Light.
The Man is Ashamed and the Woman Dis
appointed-The High-FIown, the
JOcular and the Languid
Proposals.

"Have YOU ever noticed, said a club
man the other day, chow very little
one hears about proposals." Every
other circumstance connected with n
marriage is discussed with the great
est freedom; possible and probable
matches, breach-of-promise suits and
divorce cases are canvassed and talked
over in every imaginable light, but
about actual offers of marriage one
hears almost nothing. / have often
wondered why it is so, and have come
to the conclusion that men avoid the
subject, as a rule, because each one is
conscious of having made rather fool
of himself on the occasion. As for
women, believe that it is the one sub
ject held sacred in their condolences
with each other, A very charming
woman, who is popular not only with
our sex but her own, told me lately that
though she had received condolences
from feminine friends on every other
conceivable subject, she had never yet
been told any thing more about pro-
pOsal than the mere fact of its having
been made, refused or accepted. She
said, moreover, that even about these
facts women are more reticent than
about any thing else, and that be-
tween the most intimate friends the
subject of an offer which has been re-
jected is often never alluded to, al
though the facts of the case may be
tacitly understood.
Considering that nearly every human
being has had more or less experience
in the matter of proposals, the almost
unanimous silence which is preserved
concerning them is little remarkable.
In the case Of men it is probably true
that each one is conscious of not haY-
ing displayed his usual bi.illiancy on
the occasion in question, and therefore
prefers to cOnsign it to oblivion. in
company with his first ball and the
times when sea-sickness has marked
him for its own. Besides, the fact is
that in real life nowadays nothing is
more uncommon than romantic pro-
posal. The occasion so much looked
forward to more often than not falls
extremely fiat and has nothing espec-
tally remarkable about it. What man
ever proposed as he intended TOP or
what girl ever had her expectations
concerning the how, when and where
of the important event realized?
Certainly no one can accuse novels
of reticence on the proposal question,
and their information on the subject is
in all probability tolerably trustworthy,
since it would bv unfair to assume that
,,nv-a1iaf1 E. mi, DO
MED ordinary experience in such mat
ters. From the nlvelists of the first
half of this century many interesting
particulars about the romantic, other
wise known as the high-hown, proposal
then popular can be CLEANED. In those
days the ''languislIing swain invaria-
bly, proposed on his knees-sometimcs
on the right knee, sometimes on the
left knee, and sometimes on both
knees, as the particular fashion which
happened to be in vogue dictated. ct
may be imagined that the left knee re-
mained longest in favor). His attitude
was usually suggestive Of the idea
that he chad been there before"
and on the previous occasion had
found tacks in the carpet. With
one hand he clutched that of the
adored one, and with the. other either
smote his breast or pressed. his fevered
brow. The simplest formula allow
able was: Lovely and beloved crca-
ture, deign to confer unutterable bliss
on your admiI'ing and devoted slavci
Be mine! Oh, be mine!!r' The duty Of
the lovely and beloved creature was to
bestow on her slave zone languishing
glance from her dovelike eyes" and
then faint with as little delay as posSi-
BILE. (Thoughtful young women al
ways choose "a sofa for the occasion, in
order that the climax might be reached
as gracefully as possiblc).
The high-hOwn proposal was finally
ousted from polite society by the fact
that it was appropriated by the stage
and thus vulgarized. The jocular pro-
posal then came into favor, and for
time was quite popular aud carried to
great lengths. 1t was even related that
at the time when the tune known rs
Pop Goes the Weasel was the rage
iocular wooer, while dancing 10 the !
said tune with the object Of his alcc- /
tions, inquired Of her whether .she /
would pop through life with himP and /
was accepted on the spot.
After the iocular form Of jumping in
10 the chasra went out Of fashion the /
matter-of-fact proposal had q turn, as
IN instance of which may be mentioned |
the case Of the Individual who made an
offer Of marriage in the following unro- |
mantle manner: You stitch very nice |
ly; would you like TO darn ray stock
ings?"
From the matter-of-fact it was easy
10 slide into the business-like form in
which clear statement was made of
the advantages likely 10 De gained BY
the proposed alliance and an almost
brutally plain view OF the facts pre-
sented. At this period certain cler-
gyman is declared "a good authority to
have deliberately ADDED the following